America's newspaper

This afternoon, word broke that the Washington Times has finally found a replacement for Wesley Pruden, its longtime executive editor. For years, it had been assumed that managing editor Fran Coombs would replace Pruden.

But instead of choosing the man who oversaw the publication of articles that fawned over positions held by white supremacists, the Times reached out to John Solomon, the investigative reporter whose sloppy and poorly researched articles at the Associated Press and more recently the Washington Post, have fueled right wing attacks. Shortly after news of Solomon's hiring reached the blogosphere, Coombs announced he was leaving the paper.

There is plenty to be said about Pruden's long history (here's a primer), and the paper in general (and another), but for now it is worth a look at the new boss. But here's a bit from Media Matters for America to introduce everyone to John Solomon:

As Media Matters previously noted, Solomon has baselessly linked current Democratic fundraising efforts to the scandal surrounding former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, has baselessly suggested former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) was engaged in a shady land deal, and has written seriously flawed articles suggesting unethical behavior by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.

Furthermore, as Media Matters documented, Solomon's vague and misleading reporting has a history of fueling right-wing attacks, and, following this trend, Solomon and Mosk's reporting on the Clintons' foundation was quickly used by conservatives to misleadingly portray the Clintons as corrupt.